Convertible cabinet construction



Nov. 17, 1942. A Mn-ZEL 2,302,243

CONVERTIBLE CABINET CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 3l, 1941 4f i Dg/@15% arrwysPatented Nov. 17, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONVERTIBLE CABINETCONSTRUCTION v Albert Mitzel, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application January 31, 1941, Serial No. 376,821

(Cl. S12-164) 5 Claims.

This invention relates to convertible cabinets or the like adapted toprovide a support and housing for a device or articles, and furtheradapted to be converted to render the device or articles accessible foruse, and to further provide in said converted condition a working topand shelves. Such cabinets are well adapted for wide, general use inkitchen, shop, small apartment or elsewhere where it is desired tocompactly house and conceal a working device and other articles whilemaking provision for an extended working surface, table or bench.

It is an object of my invention to provide a simple and eicient cabinetof the class described adapted to conceal a device or a number ofarticles when not in use, and being constructed to be swung open so asto render accessible the device in position for use as well as toconveniently position additional shelving or supporting surfaces.

A further object is the provision in combination with a table top or theequivalent of one or more swingable enclosure members and one or moreswingable shelves associated therewith adapted to form with said tabletop an ornate cabinet in closed position and adapted to form with saidtop and shelf an enlarged Working surface with a bin or additionalsupport associated therewith when swung to open position.

More specifically, it is an object to provide in combination with atable twop or the like, a Vertical cabinet comprising two cooperatingenclosure members hinged for upward swinging and abutment of opposingedges to form an ornate box-like cabinet above said top in closedposition, and constructed to be swung downwardly to actuate the downwardswinging of hinged side shelves connected with said table top when thedevice is converted.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fullyappear from the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to thesame parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an embodiment of my invention applied tothe table top of a kitchen cabinet or the like with the cabinet closed;

Fig. 2 is a View partly in front elevation and partly in verticalsection of the same, showing the cooperating enclosure members swung todownward Position with the shelves extended, the dotted lines indicatingthe closed position of the termediate position of one of the enclosuremembers as it actuates `the upward swinging of the shelf, and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the cabinet in the converted position ofFig. 2.

The embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawing is applied toa conventional type of cabinet, indicated as an entirety by the letterC, of substantially waist height and provided, as shown, with a base 4,vertical side walls 5, a vertical rear wall 6, and a pair of hingeddoors I adapted to close the front of said cabinet and conceal theshelves 8 and utensils or articles disposed on said shelves or otherwisehoused within the cabinet C. It will, of course, be understood that myconvertible cabinet structure may be associated with a working surfaceor top of any table, bench or other device having a supported,substantially horizontal working surface.

Cabinet C, as shown, has a top made up of two boards or equivalentmembers -9 and I0. The lower top member 9 is preferably of the width ofthe side walls 5 and has secured flush against the top thereof the upperhorizontal board I0 which, as shown, is somewhat shorter and slightlynarrower than lower member 9. The upper board I0 is secured to member 9with its front and rear edges IIlb spaced inwardly a short distance fromthe corresponding edges of top member 9 and with its side edges I0aspaced for some distance inwardly from the side edges of member 9.

The member I0 forms a working surface upon which various articlesl or amachine or device may be supported for working, and, as illustrated, afood mixer M is shown mounted thereon.

Hinged to each of the side edges Illa are shelves I I of widths equal tothe width of the Working top I0. The hinges I2 for said shelves areapplied as shown in Fig. 2 with their axes disposed at the top of topmember IU so that the shelves II when swung downwardly may be disposedin the plane of the top member I0 as continuations or extensions of theworking surface, it being understood that shelves II are of similarthickness to the member I0. In horizontal positions shelves II rest uponthe end portions of top member 9 and with the cooperation of theattached hinged leaves are supported thereby.

A pair of semi-box-like enclosure members I3 are hinged to the sideedges of the top member 9 and cooperate when closed to form an ornatehousing for the device or articles supported on working top I0 as wellas a means for concealing enclosure members as Well as illustrating anin- 55 and actuating shelves II. Each of the enclosure members I3 isprovided with a front wall I3a, a

similar rear wall I3b, a top wall I3c and a side wall I3d, said sidewalls I3d forming the ends of the housing when the cooperating membersor sections I3 are disposed in closed position, as shown in Fig. 1. Thefront and rear walls I2a and I3b, respectively, of each enclosure memberare spaced apart to snugly surround the front and rear edges of shelvesII and to embrace at their lower edges when closed, the front and rearedges IIlb of the working top IIJ Vresting upon the adjacent marginallongitudinal portions of the lower top member 9 and being supportedthereon. In such position the two enclosure sections I3 preferably abutat their opposing front, top and .back edges forming a continuousenclosure about the working top I0. The hinges I@ for enclosure sectionsI3 are secured, as shown in Fig. 2, to the side ends of lower board 9with the axes of the hinges disposed some distance outwardly and a shortdistance below the axes of hinges I2, although in parallel relationshiptherewith.

On the inner surfaces of boththe front and rear walls I3a and I3b ofeach of the enclosure members and adjacent the tops I3c thereof andspaced from the side walls I3cZ a distance slightly greater than thethickness of shelves I I, are shelfretaining studs I5 which may, ifdesired, have rubber covere-d heads and which may be screwed orotherwise secured into the walls I3a and I3b.

The front walls I3a of the two enclosure sections are preferablyprovided with aligned handles or knobs I6 to facilitate swinging of theenclosure members fromvthe upper or closed position outwardly anddownwardly to the positions shown in Fig. 2.

In converting my cabinet from the usual ornate closed position shown inFig. l1 to the working position of Fig. 2, the two enclosure sections I3are swung outwardly and downwardly on hinges I4 to the position shown inFig. 2 with the side walls I3d or ends resting against the verticalwalls or legs 5 of the supporting cabinet or table structure. To preventmarring of the walls, small cushioning studs II may be provided atappropriate points on cabinet or table walls 5. The two sections I3 maybe conveniently swung in unison to the converted position by using thefingers of two hands simultaneously for swinging the sections I3outwardly in opposite directions.

By reference to the dotted positions of the enclosure members and shelfmembers II in Fig. 2, it will be noted that the shelves I I when thedevice s closed are disposed with their outer ends contacting the sidewalls I3d of the enclosure members and standing upwardly in slightlyless than perpendicular relation to the working top I0 and disposedoutwardly of the shelf-retaining studs I5, said studs preventingswinging of the shelves II to a complete vertical position in theclosing of the sections I3. Thus, when the enclosure sections I3 areopened, shelves II swing by gravity with the enclosure memberscontacting the side walls I 3d at different areas along the surfacethereof until the enclosure members I3 are in the completely openposition shown in Fig. 2 when the bottom of the shelf members lie ushagainst the lower table top member 9 and are supported thereby with thehelp of hinges Illa, forming at that time extensions of the working topI0 and lying in the same plane therewith, and together more thandoubling the working surface then provided.

In the upward swinging movement of the enclosure sections I3. due to therelationship of the axes of r shelf hinges Illa andenclosure-sectionhinges III, the shelves swing in unison with thesections I3, and their outer edges or ends are spaced some littledistance from the top walls I3c of the enclosure sections (see Fig. 2)until sections I3 are swung upwardly substantially past the dottedposition indicated as X and into a D0- sition close to the closedposition At such time the shelf members I I at their outer ends lie ushagainst the side walls i3d of the enclosure seotions a slight distancebelow the shelf-retaining studs I5, whereupon the final closing movementof the sections I3 through the relationship of the axes of hinges Illaand I4 causes relative projection of the shelves II upwardly withreference to enclosure members I3, confining the ends of shelves IIbetween the shelf-retaining studs I5 and the side walls I3d and therebypreventing the shelves from continuing to swing upwardly to the verticalposition and retaining the shelves in the position previously describedwhere gravity will cause downward swinging of said shelves in unisonwith said sections when my device is opened.

In the closed position the device or articles supported or mounted onthe working top I0, as well as the shelves I I, are completely coveredand hidden by an ornate appearing cabinet comprising the table top(members 9 and I0) and the enclosure sections I3.

It will, of course, be understood that an integral piece comprising aworking top may be substituted for the two boards 9 and I0 utilized,provided with rabbeted edges or other equivalent construction to receiveand support the shelves II in horizontal extended position and toprovide for the relations of the hinged axes of hinges IIJa and I4, aspreviously related.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided asimple, comparatively inexpensive and eicient ornamental cabinet quicklyconvertible from a closed housing position to a working positionrendering accessible devices or articles disposed therein and providingadditional working surfaces such as shelves as well as bins oradditionalshelving provided by the enclosure members I3 in theirconverted positions.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made inthe form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various partswithout departing from the scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a table or the like having a horizontaltop,convertible cabinet structure comprising, a swingable shelf hingedto one of the side edges of said top for disposition horizontally at theside of said -top and also for disposition in upstanding position, meansassociated with said top for supporting said shelf in horizontalposition, and a box-like enclosure member having a front, a top and anend wall hinged from the upper portion of said table on an axis adjacentto and parallel to the axis of said shelf, said enclosure membercovering at least, a portion of said top and forming a housing inconjunction therewith in its normal position, said housingconcealingsaid shelf disposed in upstanding position, the hinge meansfor said enclosure being permissive of swinging movement of saidenclosure through approximately degrees to permit swinging of saidenclosure member to a position at the side of and below said top.

2. In combination with a table or the like having a horizontal top,convertible cabinet structure comprising, a swingable shelf hinged toone of the side edges of said top for disposition horizontally,substantially in the plane of said top and also for disposition inopstanding position, and a box-like enclosure member having a front, arear, a top and an end wall hinged to said table or the like on an axisdisposed outwardly of and somewhat below but in parallel relation withthe axis of said shelf hinge, the front and rear walls of said enclosuremember being spaced apart to straddle said shelf, and said enclosuremember being swingable above said top to cooperate therewith in forminga housing, said end wall of said enclosure member being disposed toengage said shelf and raise the same in such upward swinging movement,and said top having means underlying said shelf to support the same insubstantially horizontal position.

3. A convertible cabinet comprising, a horizontal top, a shelf hinged toone of the side edges of said top for positioning horizontally and alsofor disposal in upstanding position, a pair of boxlike cooperatingenclosure members each having a front wall, a top wall and an end wall,said enclosure members being each approximately half the length of saidtop to cover the same together and to form a housing thereover, the endwalls of said enclosure members being hinged at their lower edges tosaid top on axes below the working surface of said top and disposedoutwardly from the side edges of said working surface, the end walls ofsaid enclosure members being wider than said shelf and one of saidenclosure members housing said shelf and swinging the same upwardly whensaid cabinet is closed, and means for limiting the upward swinging ofsaid shelf to a position short of the vertical.

4. A convertible cabinet comprising, a horizontal top, a pair of shelveshinged to the respective side edges of said top for positioninghorizontally and also for disposal in upstanding position extendingabove said top, said top hav' ing means for underlying said shelves tosupport the same in substantially horizontal positions, a pair ofbox-like cooperating enclosure members each having a front wall, a topwall and an end wall, said enclosure members being each approximatelyhalf the length of said top to cover the same together and to form ahousing thereover, the end walls of said enclosure members being hingedat their lower edges to said top on axes disposed somewhat below andoutwardly of but in parallel relation with the axes of said shelves, thehinges for said enclosure members being permissive of approximately 180degrees swinging movement, the front edge of each of said shelves beingdisposed slightly inwardly of the vertical plane defined by the innerside of the front wall of the corresponding enclosure member, and theend wall of each of said enclosure members being disposed to contact andupwardly swing the adjacent shelf when said enclosure member is raisedto its normal position, and means for limiting the upward swingingmovement of said shelves to a position slightly short of the vertical.

5. In combination with a table or the like having a horizontal topprovided with a rabbeted side edge, a shelf hinged to the upper portionof said rabbeted edge and disposable horizontally substantially flushwith said top, the horizontal portion of said rabbeted edge supportingsaid shelf when in such position, and a box-like enclosure member havinga front, a top and an end wall, said end wall being hinged to the lowerand outwardly disposed portion of said rabbeted edge on an axis parallelto the hinge axis of said shelf, said enclosure concealing said shelfwhen swung to a position above said top, said end wall of said enclosurein upward swinging movement engaging said shelf to raise the same to anupstanding position.

ALBERT MITZEL.

